RICHMOND, VA.- Eli Wilner & Company created period-appropriate replica frames for three important 19th century French paintings in the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The paintings, by Paul Gauguin, Paul Cezanne, and Jacques Villon, are all important to the museum's collection, but were enclosed with historically inaccurate or aesthetically unsuitable frames. The newly created replica frames are now on view in the galleries.

In coordination with Dr. Sylvain Cordier, the Paul Mellon Curator and Head of the Department of European Art, frames were selected for each painting. For the painting by Paul Gauguin, 'Still Life with Bowl,' a hand-carved and gilded replica of an 18th century French style frame with a cross-hatched ground was selected. For Paul Cezanne's 'Victor Choquet,' a shaped and painted replica of a European period frame was chosen. For Jacques Villon's 'The Three Orders: The Castle, The Church, The Land,' a hand-carved and gilded replica of an 18th century European period frame was decided upon.

Precise measurements of each painting were taken by the staff at the VMFA, and then each frame was created in the Eli Wilner studio in New York City. Upon completion of the frames, they were shipped to the VMFA, where they were united with the paintings without any need for the canvases to travel.

Eli Wilner & Company has completed over 10,000 framing projects for private collectors, museums, and institutions including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and 28 projects for The White House. In 2019, Wilner was honored by the Historic Charleston Foundation with the Samuel Gaillard Stoney Conservation Craftsmanship Award, for their work in historic picture frame conservation.